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The RyuRyu Bakery: Raspberry Special
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Post by Rai Ryuichi on Jun 28, 2022 1:22:53 GMT
Rai stood outside his parent's bakery yet again on a saturday morning, opening up the front of the shop to let the aromas of all the fresh breads, pastries, cookies and other baked goods waft out into the street. "RyuRyu Bakery is now open!" he called out to passersby in a bland tone as if he didn't honestly care, but was telling everyone anyway. This was normal, and thankfully it was a popular bakery, which meant Rai generally didn't have to try very hard. Which was good, because 'feeling' wasn't something he did very well. "Special on Raspberry themed treats! Buy two kinds of Raspberry treats and get the second one for half-price!" he droned on with that distinct lack of enthusiasm.
Everyone on the street was used to him not showing much in the way of emotion; people always came regardless for their favorite baked goods. His father's bakery had almost everything, from biscotti and cannoli, to muffins and danishes, cakes and cookies, breads and sandwiches-- and many many other kinds of baked goods that he didn't care about. Of course this meant his parents were always baking, and rarely had time for him. Not that he minded...
He'd been shutting down his emotions since an incident in Grade 1. Something had happened in Grade 1 that led him to believe emotions were dangerous; so dangerous he still believed that it was better to just not have them--or rather he believed he couldn't be trusted with emotions and didn't deserve them. So he thought he could bury them until he couldn't find them anymore.
Or that had been the case. Now things were changing; a crack had begun to form in his hardened defenses. His 'partner' Y2K had hatched from a png on a weird email... yes you heard that right. The little jellyclops was endearing in a way only the truly absurd could be, and he had seemingly come to exist just for him. It would be too cruel if he couldn't be fond of him.
After that a lot of things happened; a customer had turned out to be a kind stranger who knew about these things and filled him in on the whole deal with digimon and tamers. Not long after that he let Y2K get him roped into helping a group to catch a kidnapper, dashed into danger to carry a near-stranger to safety, and ultimately reunited a sweet couple who owned a local boutique. Heartwarming right? And it was all completely out of character; doing things that put himself in danger for the sake of someone else, like seeking out criminals, running into harms way, and at the end finding he was genuinely happy for the couple? Making friendly acquaintances? He still didn't know what to do with any of that. So for now he was doing nothing.
"RyuRyu Special on Raspberry themed treats! Buy two kinds of Raspberry treats and get the second one for half-price! Full cakes and pies excluded!" he repeated. "RyuRyu Bakery is open!"
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Post by ricochet2-Ryuji&Calumon on Jun 29, 2022 9:20:39 GMT
Ryuji and Yoshihiro, who was in his holosuit, were walking through Downtown Shibuya passing by various shops. Yoshihiro had been training him in martial arts in isolated parts of the city like parks and his progress was pretty slow but fortunately finished for the day. Ryuji felt a bit tired and both he and his disguised Calumon companion were feeling a bit hungry as well so they were looking for some food that grabbed their fancy. Sure neither of them were picky eaters but even then neither was in the mood for fast food unless they had no other option.
Then someone calling out in an emotionless tone caught Yoshihiro's attention and shortly later Ryuji heard it too. "So, Yoshihiro, what do you think about taking a look at that bakery?" Ryuji asked.
"Judging by the smell coming from the place, baked goods does sound good." Yoshihiro replied and Ryuji nodded. Soon the duo made their way to the front of the shop where a teen that was a few years younger than Ryuji, at least, was repeating the special that seemed to involve raspberry themed goodies for a pretty good deal to boot.
Ryuji walked up to the young man and said "Hey there. My brother and I are here for that deal you are talking about."
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Post by Rai Ryuichi on Jun 29, 2022 10:33:36 GMT
Rai blinked. Why were they talking to him about it? He's not manning the counter, they didn't need a coupon from him or anything to get in on the sale. Something in his pocket made a beeping sound, but he ignored it. Digimon could be anywhere around him and he didn't care about being paranoid. If they acted like people they were people.
"Right. You can go in, and when its your turn in line, you order two raspberry goods of your choice. The pricier of the two if applicable will be half off. Cakes and pies not included... it would be ridiculous if you could buy a muffin and get half price on a cake." he explained. "Both items have to be Raspberry or it doesn't count.." he droned on uninterested.
A white cat with some curious brow or maybe eyelash shaped markings on its face chose this time to leap off the roof and onto the top of Rai's head. The boy for his part didn't flinch or otherwise acknowledge that this had happened. The cat stared directly at the younger of the two who had approached Rai, sitting its butt on the crown of his head. Its stare was... uncanny somehow.
"Y2K, get off my head." he finally said after a few moments, as if just speaking up was a drag. The disguised Keramon looped his tentacle--wait no his 'tail' around Rai's neck and almost bungeed off of Rai's head, hanging by his tail for a moment before dropping down to the pavement to circle the younger sibling.
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Post by ricochet2-Ryuji&Calumon on Jun 29, 2022 12:06:42 GMT
Though the young man was confused he did provide the duo more information regarding the sale including the fact that cakes and pies were not included in the deal. The stipulations also made a lot of sense so neither complained. Strangely the other boy sounded uninterested while talking which puzzled both Ryuji and Yoshihiro alike. Weren't humans usually more emotive?
"Don't mind my little brother. I guess he figured you would know more about the sale. None of us are meaning to needlessly pester you." Yoshihiro said. Ryuji was glad that Yoshihiro, though at times a handful, was relatively well mannered.
Before the two of them could head into the store to get some baked goods a white cat with curious markings on its face landed on the boy's head before wrapping its tail around the boy's head after he called the cat Y2K and told it to get off. "Y2K?" Yoshihiro asked clearly bamboozled before he felt the all too familiar presence of a digimon. It was the cat. "Ryuji, that cat is not as it appears."
"You mean..." Ryuji began as Yoshihiro nodded. Sure the disguised digimon seemed harmless enough but the tamer and digimon duo knew to be ready just in case.
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Post by Rai Ryuichi on Jun 29, 2022 22:31:36 GMT
Rai stared at the duo. "Was it the markings?" he asked blandly. He knew that probably wasn't the case; He'd observed that Digimon had a way of telling their own. The older one had figured Y2K out quickly, but the younger one needed to be told. So the elder one was likely a Digimon while the younger was not. They were like him and Y2K. "If you're set on talking, maybe you should go and get your pastries first. Wouldn't want to risk missing out on your favorites." he suggested as if resigned to the idea that this realization was going to lead to social activity.
There were two lines with one line already seven people long, and only promised to grow longer as his parents Reiden and Saki Ryuichi were greeting everyone at the registers with a smile and a complement. The inside of the bakery had almost everything you could think to buy at a bakery on display behind glass. Everyone seemed quite cheerful.
Rai only needed to do this for another minute or two before his dad would forget about it, so in the time it would take for them to get their foodstuffs he could probably spare time to chat if he had to. He wished Y2K would be less obvious about their connection. His father didn't allow pets of any kind--wasn't hygienic for a bakery he said. At least he didn't follow the two inside, choosing instead to pad around his feet with an odd gait that suggested someone had been feeding the cat sake. Even in the holosuit, the gangly mannerisms of Keramon were apparent... or maybe he Y2K just wasn't used to moving around in it yet.
In due time he sat himself at a table shaded under a large umbrella near the store front, waiting for the duo to either come back to talk to him, or leave.
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Post by ricochet2-Ryuji&Calumon on Jun 29, 2022 23:43:54 GMT
"Yeah your cat has unusual markings." Ryuji said looking down at the cat not sure if the teen knew about digimon. Having to keep things at a need to know basis was tricky sometimes when one didn't know who was aware of digimon at first glance. Then they were told that they should get in line to not miss their favorite choices. Before Ryuji could say anymore though Yoshihiro grabbed his tamer by the wrist pulling the eighteen year old into line with him. It seemed the disguised Calumon was definitely thinking with his stomach and not just because it was growling.
Sometime later the pair came out of the shop with Yoshihiro having a bag stuffed full of muffins while Ryuji's bag wasn't nearly as full by a long shot. He was surprised a digimon as small as Yoshihiro had one hell of an appetite. Then again knowing how big Yoshihiro's digivolutions were compared to his in training form's beanie baby sized body was quite shocking a sight indeed. As they came out they sat down at the shaded table with Rai and Yoshihiro asked "So what was up with that weird cat?"
"Yoshihiro!" Ryuji exclaimed before dragging his hands over his face with a groan. His partner was making things awkward by being so blunt.
"Geez, Ryuji. You need to chill out. Even now you are way too serious." Yoshihiro said which caused Ryuji to roll his eyes and groan.
"One of us has to be."
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Post by Rai Ryuichi on Jun 30, 2022 0:32:12 GMT
"What's up with him? I figured you knew already." were they not a digimon and tamer after all? "Maybe we're already at the Terminus of this conversation then." His pocket beeped again. "Is he that weird for a cat? He's just got little eyebrows." he drew out his D3 from his pocket briefly--- just enough to glance at it before putting it away, rather than waving it around or pushing it in anyone's face.
Y2K was now zooming around outside as if the cat was suddenly no longer drunk and now high on caffeine. Zoom zoom! Kekeke! Darting between people's feet and causing them mild surprise. This was fun! The power of zoomies was unmatched! First the zooms! Then... he hadn't thought of what came after that! Kekekeke!
Rai studied the two at the table. Hair, eyes, build. The younger one had to be a few years older than him, where the older one seemed like an adult. Appearance wise he'd seen odder seeming folk. "He's certainly active isn't he?" he asked blandly.
Active was an understatement.
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Post by ricochet2-Ryuji&Calumon on Jun 30, 2022 0:43:16 GMT
When the other teen brought out a D3 Yoshihiro said "Oh I knew he was a digimon but since you have a digivice then I guess you are one of the ones in the know regarding digimon. As for his disguise, he is acting weird for a cat. That's all."
Then to Ryuji's surprise and the surprise of others nearby the cat disguised as a digimon went from toddling around like a drunk to zooming around like a hyper active child on a caffeine rush. "Yes he is very active. I think he could easily keep pace with Yoshihiro here."
As Yoshihiro observed Y2K the digimon's name was forefront in his mind again before he looked back at Rai and said "Y2K? Your partner sure has an odd name. What's that about anyway?" Yoshihiro asked which didn't surprise Ryuji as Yoshihiro, despite looking a bit older than him in his holosuit disguise, was far to young to know about the infamous computer bug from years ago that some would thought would bring about the end of the world or something. Obviously such a thing never happened.
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Post by Rai Ryuichi on Jun 30, 2022 1:15:59 GMT
He looked at the digimon in disguise and quirked an eyebrow, which was an awful lot of expression for him. "Like the Y2K bug? The modern world's greatest anti-climax. On January 1st 2000, everyone thought crazy things would happen, nukes would launch, planes would fall out of the skies, and everyone's bank balances would glitch to zero causing mass bankruptcy." making it sound as interesting as the weather.
"All because the clocks on all the computers at the time hadn't been designed to display the number 2000." he waved his hand dismissively in the air. "None of those things actually happened. But he came thinking he's the genuine article. Don't burst his bubble." finishing up with thoughtful look at the shade giving umbrella above them.
"I guess he -could- have come from data collected -about- the Y2K bug," he considered, "But I don't know what the odds of that are or if that's even how things work. The bug itself wasn't a virus, so much as a shortsighted flaw in design that got blown way out of proportion." Rai shrugged, having exhausted what he had to say on the matter.
Y2K having only been paying nominal attention, knew his name had been said several times. He should go over there! He skidded his zooming self to a halt before trotting over to the table and jumping up onto it. "Nyeow." He said, simply sounding like Keramon saying 'Nyeow' rather than an actual cat making a sound. No wonder he essentially stayed quiet in his present form.
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Post by ricochet2-Ryuji&Calumon on Jun 30, 2022 1:29:48 GMT
"Amazing how weird you humans can be." Yoshihiro said shaking his head with a chuckle before he then said "As for the Human World year of 2000 I hadn't even been born yet so I wouldn't know anything about it since I was born only a few Human World years ago."
"I know digimon can collect and copy data but from that long ago. I hadn't even been born yet but the bug is barely older than I am so I learned a bit about it. The panic is caused made many people look and sound ridiculous based on what I learned of that year. Was an interesting year for computers that's for sure." Ryuji said digging into his bag pulling out a muffin while noticing Yoshihiro had begun chowing down eagerly on his own muffins.
"Yum. These muffins are good." Yoshihiro mumbled with a mouthful of food.
"Yoshihiro, table manners. I doubt you're dad taught you to eat like that." Ryuji said in a stern tone and Yoshihiro's table manners improved dramatically.
Looking down at Y2K, Ryuji said "Uhm. Hello there."
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Post by Rai Ryuichi on Jun 30, 2022 2:03:56 GMT
Rai hadn't been born yet either, but he still knew about it. He supposed it wasn't considered very important, but being into computers the way he was, there's no way he wouldn't be informed of that particular bit of trivia. He guessed even if he hadn't been, he'd have looked it up after Kuramon decided he was infact Y2K. It was quite a silly time to look back on he'd admit.
At the comment about the muffin Rai briefly adopted a small smile. People clearly enjoying the bakery's goods still made him happy sometimes. The call for table manners saw the smile vanish. Not that it offended him, just that that moment was over. "Oh, I'm Rai, I suppose." he said offering his name to the strangers. They already knew Y2K's name, and their names had also dropped in conversation--not directed at him, but still.
Y2K immediately replied to the hello with his own bright "Hello!" now completely breaking character. Rai glanced at their surroundings, slightly concerned someone may have noticed a cat talking just now. Miraculously he didn't see any obvious staring. That didn't mean no one noticed...
Rai sighed and patted the cat on the head. What was he going to do with him?
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Post by ricochet2-Ryuji&Calumon on Jun 30, 2022 3:51:23 GMT
"Nice to meet you, Rai. As you've already heard, my name is Ryuji and with me is my partner digimon Yoshihiro. He is a interesting species compared to some I've seen." Ryuji said while Yoshihiro continued to eat. The thought of him eating that large bag of muffins made Ryuji wonder where the diguised Calumon put it all seeing as he was in his in training for most of the time unless they were training or there was a fight involving a digimon. Basically Yoshihiro spent little overall time in his higher forms but apparently could hold his higher forms for awhile if he wanted to.
"Seeing as I am a member of a curious species normally known for its ability to cause digivolution in others those words are an understatement, Ryuji. Just because I can't do that because I'm more combat oriented doesn't mean I myself am not interesting." Yoshihiro said with a playful smile which caused Ryuji to briefly facepalm. At some level the eighteen year old was worried Yoshihiro would channel is more mischievous side.
When Y2K said hello Ryuji just smiled at the digimon disguised as a cat and said "Calm down, Y2K. Not all humans are aware of digimon you know and cats here in the Human World don't really talk."
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Post by Rai Ryuichi on Jun 30, 2022 5:13:10 GMT
Rai nodded as Ryuji introduced himself and his partner properly. He was actually quite interested at first in a digimon that could make others digivolve, but Yoshihiro quickly asserted he couldn't do that himself, for he was more 'combat oriented'.
Y2K sort of sulked with the words that had been directed at him. He had a lot to say! Like Hello! And...
"I'm actually interested in the subject of digivolution." he mentioned in a tone that betrayed nothing of the sort. "Recently, when we went to Terminus... There was a fight. The enemy was a Champion, but of those on our side, only Y2K couldn't digivolve to Champion Level." he turned his eyes to Y2K and stared at the 'cat'
"He only got a good hit in because he moved in for point blank when the opponent had become vulnerable. That was our first visit to Terminus. I'm concerned next time we find trouble... or volunteer for it... Y2K is going to get really hurt if he can't digivolve." He very gently 'bonked' Y2K on the head with his knuckles, before looking back to Ryuji. "It sounds like you've been in this longer than we have. Have anything you could tell us?"
Y2K probably wanted to say a few things for himself but instead said "Nyeh!" only for Rai to tap him on the head. "Nyaa." he corrected. "Nyaa."
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Post by ricochet2-Ryuji&Calumon on Jun 30, 2022 5:39:16 GMT
"Digivolution is an interesting subject." Ryuji began before he continued "Sounds like your partner might not be quite ready for his natural digivolution to champion but there is another option. Granted this method is not a guarantee as not every digimon has access to it. The method I am talking about is called armor digivolution."
"Armor digivolution is an ancient method of digivolution that some digimon can still utilize nowadays to become a form slightly weaker than the next stage. This is achieved through the use of an artifact called a digimental and digimon or tamers can have up to two in their possession. One is the armor champion stage and the other is the armor ultimate stage. Not only that sometimes these forms can be drastically different from a digimon's evolutionary line to the point of seemingly not having any logic to them at all. Granted my armor forms aren't that illogical but some are let's just say really wildly different." Yoshihiro explained somewhat in a rambly sense but got a bunch of info out.
Ryuji couldn't help but smile at Y2K before he said "I know you want to talk but think of this as acting. Since you are disguised as a cat you have to practice being the most convincing cat you can. At least your disguise is pretty cute."
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Post by Rai Ryuichi on Jun 30, 2022 6:53:52 GMT
Rai's invisible disappointment was quickly replaced by a sharp interest in this thing called Armor Digivolution. So it would be only slightly weaker as a Champion and all he'd need to do is get one of these artifact things; Digimentals.
But the form might or might not even resemble Keramon.
"How and where would I even start looking for one of these armorfacts? I don't suppose you can just buy one somewhere in Terminus?" Unfortunately that would be too easy. He was probably going to have to break his back for this... but if it protected Y2K next time they needed it, then it had the potential to be worth the trouble.
Y2K listened to Ryuji's words and thought about it. Acting did sound fun when he put it like that. But how was he going to improve his cat impression? Maybe there was data he could find and refrain from monching long enough to analyze... hmm food... no wait what was he thinking about?
Cats! Cats weren't made of data so they weren't good to eat. No, wait that wasn't it... Cat impersonation! He would obtain greater information on the behavior of cats, then practice better emulating them! First, cat impressions; then... the world! Wait... why would he want the world? Sounded boring.
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